Somehow, I missed what Pitch Perfectwas even about until a friend learned I loved a Capella music and
told me about it. Ever since then, it’s been on my to be watched
list, which means I had to set my DVR when I saw it on TV. I think I
paid about the right price. It grew on me, but it wasn’t as great as
I had hoped.

Beca (Anna Kendrick) is a freshman at Barden University, but
against her will. She wants to go to LA to start a career in music,
but her father is insisting she have at least one year in school first. And
she has to join some kind of group or club and attempt to make friends.

That choice is helped along when she is overheard singing in
the shower and is asked to join the Bellas, the school’s all-women a Capella
group. Last year, they made it to the national finals, something
women’s groups have a hard time doing. They are hoping to actually
win this year, which means beating the all-male group at Barden, the
Treblemakers. However, Beca is quickly clashing with the Bellas’s
leader, Aubrey (Anna Camp) over just about everything. Will it work
out? Can the Bellas rise above the past and win?

The plot is perfectly fine. It’s a fairly
predictable story, but that never bothers me as long as I’m having fun along
the way. And I did have some fun – once things settle down in the
second half.

I actually had several issues with the film. The
first? Projectile vomiting. Twice. Enough said
there, right? Moving on, the characters are just plain weird. I
don’t know that there was a normal one in the bunch. Now, I don’t
mind oddball characters as a rule, but this movie seemed to be almost mocking
them, especially in the beginning. Considering I hate what I have
termed awkward humor, situations where we are supposed to laugh at someone
making a fool of themselves, I really had a problem with that in the
beginning. I realized as I was watching the film that this is part
of my problem with Rebel Wilson, who appears here as Fat Amy, another of the
new Bellas. We are supposed to laugh at her being stupid, and I just
don’t find it amusing.

However, as the film went on, all that began to
change. Some of the characters showed some depth. They
all stopped being completely clueless idiots. And as they became
friends, I got behind the movie and started rooting for them to get the
well-deserved happy ending. Well, most of them. There
were still a couple of jerks in the cast, but we weren’t supposed to warm up to
them.

One thing that never changed for me was my opinion of the
commentators. Played by Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins,
they provided some color commentary for the viewers at home (I guess the
contests were televised? I never got that). However,
these comments were filled with pointless sexual innuendo and sexism. They
added nothing to the film and actually took away from my enjoyment.

However, I did enjoy the music. Wow was it
fabulous. I’m seriously thinking about getting the sound
track. Any time the groups are singing, and there is plenty of
singing, the movie is wonderful.

And the acting is great as well. Everyone brought
their characters to life perfectly. Yes, as much as I don’t like the
characters she plays, Rebel Wilson did a good job with Fat Amy. I
also really enjoy Skylar Astin as Beca’s potential love interest Jesse.

So I’m left feeling ambivalent about the film. Pitch Perfectdefinitely had some
moments I enjoyed, but there was also plenty that made me cringe along the
way. Even though I loved the music, I probably won’t rush out to
watch it again.

Upcoming Book Tour Stops

About Me

I'm an accountant by trade but a reviewer at heart. Top reviewer at Amazon. Love to read, watch TV and movies, and listen to music. And I'm always looking to share and discuss what I am currently consuming.

Message Boards I'm On

Legal Stuff

All reviews are copyright by me. They also appear whole or edited at Amazon and Bn.com

Mark Baker is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com